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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Christine Paulson at 515-725-9510 or Christine.Paulson@dnr.iowa.gov.
DES MOINES -- Fall leaves are beautiful – until they pile up in your yard. But don’t send those precious nutrients up in smoke. Instead, put them to good use. Your leaves, branches and other landscape materials can nourish your lawn, garden or community. It’s as easy as 1 – 2 – 3:
- Composting leaves and food scraps is a great way to turn this waste into nutrients for your garden. A good compost mix needs both carbon (dead or dry leaves) and nitrogen (green materials like food scraps and grass clippings). Many types and sizes of compost containers are available. For tips on low-tech ways to compost, see a DNR tutorial.
- Your lawn will love you if you chop up and leave your leaves in place. Leaves are a free and natural fertilizer and they add organic matter to enrich your soil. Use your regular lawn mower. Or use a mulching lawn mower to shred and mix leaves and grass into your yard.
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Bag it. If you have too many leaves or branches to compost, check with your community to see if they collect yard waste or have a drop-off site. Sometimes there’s a fee, but the upside is that anyone can pick up composted materials for their yards or gardens.
Burning leaves seems to capture the smell of autumn. But breathing leaf smoke pulls pollutants such as carbon monoxide, soot and toxic chemicals into your lungs. While it may smell good, smoke is especially harmful to children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems such as asthma. Turning leaves into nutrients is the healthy way to protect your and your neighbor’s lungs.
MEDIA CONTACT: Marnie Stein at 515-725-9555 or Marnie.Stein@dnr.iowa.gov.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources continues to work towards rolling out an online system to submit air quality permit applications.
The online option, called Iowa EASY Air (Environmental Application System), can be used to submit air quality construction and operating (Title V) permit applications.
“We’re excited about Iowa EASY Air and the advantages it offers,” said Marnie Stein, project coordinator. “As we introduced EASY Air to testers last month, we heard many industry participants say how easy and intuitive it is to use the new system,” she added.
“I like it. I’m going to like having all the data in one place and not having to recreate it,” said Sara Kelley, Environmental Compliance Specialist with NV5.
Other industry representatives say using the online system could save significant time on each permit application.
With the input of 12 industry representatives, DNR produced a fact sheet, talking points and a sample news release which companies can use to explain the convenience and benefits of using EASY Air.
“I encourage facilities and consultants to share these products with their associations and co-workers,” Stein said. “From reducing data entry to cutting the time it takes to complete an application or pay the fees, we think companies that need a permit or permit modification will like this new product.”
Find the fact sheet and other products on the DNR Air Quality’s eServices webpage.
Not sure you need a permit? Check for air permit requirements or call 877-AIR-Iowa for construction permit help.
MEDIA CONTACT: Kelli Book, DNR, at 515-725-9572 or Kelli.Book@dnr.iowa.gov.
DES MOINES – DNR staff work with individuals, businesses and communities to help them protect our natural resources by complying with state and federal laws. This approach is very effective. In the few cases where compliance cannot be achieved, the DNR issues enforcement actions. The following list summarizes recent enforcement actions. Find the entire, original orders on DNR’s website at www.iowadnr.gov/EnforcementActions
Consent Orders A consent order is issued as an alternative to issuing an administrative order. A consent order indicates that the DNR has voluntarily entered into a legally enforceable agreement with the other party.
Dallas County
Wisecup Trucking, LLC
Cease and prevent illegal disposal of solid waste and open burning, comply with the rules governing solid waste disposal, open burning, and asbestos, and pay a $5,000 administrative penalty
Lyon County
Jansma Cattle Co., Inc.
Operate feedlot in compliance with laws and regulations, cease all discharges and develop plan of action to prevent all future discharges, and pay a $5,000.00 administrative penalty
MEDIA CONTACT: Sarah Piziali, DNR, at 515-725-9549 or Sarah.Piziali@dnr.iowa.gov for construction permits.
DES MOINES – The DNR Air Quality Bureau has the following draft permits up for review. The permits help protect Iowans’ health and air quality. DNR’s permitting staff review each permit application to ensure facilities comply with state and federal air quality requirements. We encourage public comments on draft permits, providing help on how to make effective comments. Submit written comments to the assigned permit writer before 4:30 p.m. on the last day of the comment period. DNR considers public comments before finalizing the permits.
Construction Permits
DNR engineers review and issue construction permits to facilities before they build new or modify existing sources of air pollution. The public may review the following air quality construction permits available online at www.iowadnr.gov/airpermitsearch.
Lee County
Iowa Fertilizer Company – 3550 180th St., Wever.
Project No. 18-450, Permit amendments to the Best Available Control Technology (BACT) limits for NOx and CO on the two auxiliary boilers. In addition, the monitoring language for the gauzes in the Nitric Acid Plant is proposed to be changed. The public comment period will run from Oct. 18 – Nov. 18 and requests for a public hearing must be submitted by Nov. 1.
Muscatine County Grain Processing Corporation – 1600 Oregon St., Muscatine. Project No. 18-153, Modification of Cat Litter Production Line #2: modify capacity, exhaust flow and temperature for cat litter cooler; permit cat litter bagger.
The public comment period ends Nov. 18.
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